Trump to give ‘honour’ a miss

President may be too much of a political distraction at arts award event

BRIDGEWATER ( New Jersey): Acknowledging that he has become a “political distraction”, President Donald Trump has decided to skip the festivities surrounding the annual Kennedy Center Honours arts awards later this year, the White House announced amid the continuing fallout over Trump’s stance on last weekend’s white supremacist demonstration in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The Kennedy Center said it respected Trump’s decision and the show will go on.

Trump and First Lady Melania Trump reached their decision on Friday, a White House official said, the same day that the entire mem- bership of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities resigned in protest over Trump’s remarks about Charlottesville.

Trump has blamed “both sides” for the Aug 12 violence that left an anti-racism activist dead.

Presidents traditionally host a light-hearted and oftentimes humorous gathering for the honourees at the White House before the awards ceremony at the performing arts centre. Trump will not hold that reception this year, and he and the First Lady will not attend the gala.

It will be the fourth time in the awards’ 40-year history that a president will miss out on the ceremony.

Trump long has had a contentious relationship with the arts world and some of those being recognised for lifetime achievement in their fields had already made clear they would boycott a White House reception presided over by Trump.

His decision capped a week in which he was put on the defensive over his Charlottesville remarks.

Elected and former elected officials in both parties urged Trump to more forcefully denounce the neo-Nazis and white supremacists who marched through Charlottesville, while others openly questioned his competence and moral leadership.

Corporate titans whom Trump enjoyed schmoozing with at the White House fled advisory boards they had agreed to serve on, while uniformed leaders of the armed services denounced racism and hatred without naming their commander in chief.

One of Trump’s evangelical advisers also stepped down, and the number of major charities that are cancelling fundraisers planned for Trump’s property in Palm Beach, Florida, has been rising.

“The President and First Lady have decided not to participate in this year’s activities to allow the honuorees to celebrate without any political distraction,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. — AP